In name only: I will break the chess game in Handong

"Fine, so be it. I, Zhao Donglai, am innocent. Why would I be afraid of you, Hou Liangping?"

Shaking his head, Zhao Donglai ignored the matter.

Meanwhile, the Guangming District Committee and Government.

On their first day at work, Chen Hai and Yi Xuexi arrived very early. In the conference room, rows of cadres from Guangming District were sitting, including members of the district committee and branch bureau chiefs like Cheng Du.

There are around one hundred people in total.

Sitting on the stage, next to me is Yi Xuexi.

Although Chen Hai and Yi Xuexi didn't get along, he wouldn't go so far as to cause trouble for Yi Xuexi at the conference.

"Comrades, I am Yi Xuexi. I have just been transferred from the position of acting mayor of Lüzhou City to Jingzhou. You may not be very familiar with me, but twenty years ago, I worked with the current Secretary Dakang in Jinshan County."

This statement is clearly meant to intimidate.

"This trip to Jingzhou and Guangming District is both a testament to the organization's training of me and a major challenge for me."

I heard about the Dafeng Factory incident in Guangming District a while ago. This incident shows that some officials in Guangming District are failing in their duties. The key task for Guangming District going forward is to first eliminate these bad apples!

Everyone was initially intimidated by Yi Xuexi's talk about his relationship with Secretary Li Dakang, but now that a key work point has been announced, everyone's expressions have become serious.

Their attitude toward Yi Xuexi took a sharp turn for the worse. Most of them were city-level cadres, and who didn't have a few powerful backers?

You, Yi Xuexi, are trying to mess with us as soon as you arrive. Who would be happy about that?

The audience fell silent as the applause Yi Xuexi had hoped for did not materialize. Even Chen Hai, who was standing to the side, thought Yi Xuexi was somewhat extraordinary. Although he didn't understand economic development very well, he knew that the matter of eliminating bad apples could not be openly discussed.

If you want to investigate, you can do it privately and slowly. Why bring it up in a conference now? Who will dare to confide in you in the future?

"Let me say a few words too."

Chen Hai brought the microphone on the table closer to himself and gave a faint smile. "Comrades, I think you are all quite familiar with me. I am the former director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. I understand that you may not have dared to get too close to me before because of my identity."

However, work still needs to be done. I hope everyone here will cooperate well in the government's upcoming work to build a brighter future for the people!

Some of the cadres below rolled their eyes, saying that Chen Hai and Yi Xuexi were equally bad.

One of them came in saying they would conduct a thorough investigation, while the other was a former director of the anti-corruption bureau who dared to investigate the families of provincial party committee members and municipal party secretaries without authorization. Their attempts to reassure people were practically nothing but empty words.

Of course, people are still willing to give face.

It's not for any other reason than that you, Chen Hai, are speaking nicely now. As for what you do behind the scenes, that's up to each of you to decide.

Although Chen Hai wasn't entirely satisfied with the sparse applause, it was still better than Yi Xuexi's, so when Chen Hai looked at Yi Xuexi, his smile was noticeably brighter.

The meeting, which was quite "unique," came to an end. Those with a keen political sense could feel the crisis in Guangming District. Two incompetent people were in charge of the work of millions of people in Guangming District. Any one slip-up could ruin their political future.

In the district head's office, Chen Hai frowned as he looked at the branch bureau chief, Cheng Du, across from him.

The reason is simple: he didn't see any respect for himself, the supervisor, on Cheng Du's face.

"Director Cheng, please give me a report on the security situation in Guangming District."

Cheng Du was stunned. "Shouldn't you, as the district head, be focusing on getting involved in finance, taxation, urban construction, and other related work on your first day here? What the hell are you doing having a branch office director reporting on?!"

Chen Hai is an amateur!

This was Cheng Du's first impression of Chen Hai.

"Ahem, District Chief Chen, let me report on the current security situation in Guangming District."

Currently, the Guangming Branch has sufficient police force. In accordance with the work guidelines of the Provincial Department and the Municipal Bureau, and the guidance of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the response within our jurisdiction is very rapid. We have strict management of police dispatch and response, zero tolerance for crime, and resolute handling of police officers who violate discipline or regulations.

The situation is currently stable, and no major cases have occurred.

Hearing this, Chen Hai nodded, looking like he knew it all.

"Director Cheng, well done! Keep up the good work and strive to build a civilized and law-abiding Guangming District!"

"Please rest assured, District Chief Chen, our Guangming Branch will always keep our mission in mind and never forget our original aspiration!"

Chapter 104 Special Meeting on the Relocation of Dafeng Factory

After Cheng Du left, Chen Hai sat in his office feeling rather aimless, unsure of what he should do.

The same scene was playing out in an office not far away. The first thing Yi Xuexi did upon arriving in Jingzhou was to summon the district discipline inspection secretary, ostensibly to talk about work, but in reality, he was demanding that the secretary seriously investigate and punish a number of cadres during this period!

In Guangming District, everyone was on edge, while in Lüzhou, the person who announced the organizational appointment yesterday was Wu Chunlin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Minister of Organization. Sun Liancheng's name was already familiar to a group of municipal government officials, especially Secretary Hu, who was about to take up a post in Beijing, who shook hands and greeted Sun Liancheng warmly.

During the municipal party committee meeting held this morning, Secretary Hu made a remark that Mayor Sun had boldly drawn circles on the land of Luzhou, making everyone below understand Mayor Sun's capabilities.

Most importantly, Sun Liancheng has a very strong work ability!

The municipal party committee meeting had just ended when Sun Liancheng immediately convened a municipal government work meeting, first instructing the finance bureau to compile the financial reports for the past three years within three days.

He also instructed almost all subordinate agencies, including the Commerce Bureau, Tax Bureau, Urban Construction Bureau, Audit Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, etc., to compile the data projects from the period when Yi Xuexi took office.

These next few days he will listen to reports one by one, and he has seriously demanded that the Finance Bureau not take out a single penny without his signature!

On one side, there's a bustling scene of activity, while on the other, there's a desolate and idle atmosphere; the gap is gradually widening.

Hou Liangping arrived at the office of the district head of Guangming District shortly after Cheng Du left.

Knock, knock, knock. Chen Hai had just looked up when he saw Hou Liangping push the door open and come in.

For a moment, both of them were stunned.

"Hou Liangping!"

"Chen Hai?!"

"You're the new District Chief Chen?"

Hou Liangping wasn't faking it. These days he'd been busy investigating Dafeng Factory's shares and hadn't had time to pay attention to Chen Hai's affairs. After all, there were transfers of deputy-department-level cadres almost every few days; who had the energy to keep up?

"Hmph! What, you think I'm not fit to be the district head?"

Chen Hai's attitude was very cold. He no longer had any friendship with Hou Liangping, only hatred!

"Hai Zi, you've misunderstood me."

Actually, I really didn't mean to last time..."

Hou Liangping's tone was inexplicably sad, and Chen Hai told himself that he couldn't believe a word Hou Liangping said.

"Sigh! Do you think I would really want to harm you on purpose, after being your classmate for four years in college?"

I admit that investigating Li Dakang's wife was selfish, but if I didn't push Hai Zi forward, we would both be dismissed by the provincial party committee. I also have the important task of investigating the Dafeng Factory incident on my shoulders. Hai Zi, sometimes I can only ask you to suffer and take the blame. What I've done is not for climbing the ranks, but for justice and ideals!

"Stop wasting your breath. I don't believe a word you say. Now, get out of my office right now!"

Chen Hai issued an ultimatum, but Hou Liangping was still somewhat unwilling to give up.

"Chen Hai! Have you forgotten? Forgotten your former ideals, forgotten your mission to strike down all darkness in the world?"

"I haven't forgotten!"

Chen Hai's tone was very firm.

"Alright, Chen Hai, since you haven't forgotten, then let me interrogate Cai Chenggong. He's currently at the Guangming Branch. Regardless of our past grievances, you have to support me on official business!"

Chen Hai was trembling all over, but finally managed to squeeze out, "I'll arrange it for you!"

After saying that, he picked up the phone on the table and made a call. After hearing Chen Hai's request, the person who answered the call said that he was very willing to cooperate with the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

"Are you satisfied now? Please leave!"

Hou Liangping nodded. As soon as he stepped out of the office, his previously serious and sorrowful face vanished without a trace, replaced by the joy of a successful scheme.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Chen Hai is still so easy to fool..."

After shaking his head, Hou Liangping headed straight for the Guangming branch of the Public Security Bureau.

In the interrogation room, Cai Chenggong's eyes no longer held the same gleam when he saw Hou Liangping. If Cai Chenggong had initially hoped to be rescued by Hou Liangping, he had now completely given up.

It will take him more than a decade to clear up the charges against him.

“Monkey, I’ve told you everything I need to say. There’s no point in you asking any more questions. Instead of trying to find a breakthrough with me, you might as well investigate the Shanshui Group. Gao Xiaoqin from the Shanshui Group is no ordinary person, and her relationship with Director Qi is equally unusual. I admit I’ve been tricked this time!”

These words were half true and half false, but Hou Liangping seemed to be deep in thought.

"I'm here to tell you that Ouyang Qing's case has been investigated and cleared up. He has turned himself in for accepting a bribe of 500,000 yuan and voluntarily returned the money. He has now been expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office."

"No criminal record?"

Cai Chenggong was stunned for a moment. In his heart, he hated not only the Shanshui Group but also Ouyang Qing, and he didn't want either of them to have a good time.

"No... This is the provincial party committee's decision."

"Heh, how ironic. I'm going to be locked up for over ten years, while Ouyang Qing, who took bribes of far more than 500,000, only got expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office, just because she's Li Dakang's wife?"

Hou Liangping paused for a moment.

"Think about it yourself. If you don't want to talk about it, I can't help you. Your wife and children are having a hard time right now, with people coming to your door to collect debts every day."

Cai Chenggong closed his eyes and uttered a sentence after a long while.

"Monkey, I was set up by the Shanshui Group, but I really have no evidence. You should investigate the Shanshui Group directly."

After nodding, Hou Liangping left.

Three days later, a special discussion meeting on the resettlement of Dafeng Factory was held in the conference room of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee.

In addition to Zheng Xipo, the representative of the union chairman of Dafeng Factory, and some workers, Gao Xiaoqin, the boss of Shanshui Group, also came.

The others are officials at various levels in Jingzhou City.

Li Dakang arrived last, and as soon as the door opened, almost everyone stood up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we are going to deal with the dispute between Dafeng Factory and Shanshui Group."

Standing on the stage, Li Dakang spoke calmly.

"The court ruled that the shares of Dafeng Factory were awarded to Shanshui Group, and Shanshui Group has already paid 45 million yuan in resettlement funds. None of the workers at Dafeng Factory saw this money; it was all misappropriated by the boss, Cai Chenggong."

Our government will definitely deal with Cai Chenggong's criminal issues seriously!

However, the protection of the workers' interests cannot be delayed any longer. The Jingzhou Municipal Government is willing to advance resettlement funds to ensure the workers' rights are effectively protected. Do the workers' representatives agree to this arrangement?

To put it bluntly, this plan is for the Jingzhou City government to take the blame for Tsai Cheng-cheng in exchange for the Dafeng Factory workers stopping their protests.

As soon as Li Dakang finished speaking, Zheng Xipo stood up to object.

"Secretary Li, we disagree!"